


Returning Home

by 108_Stars



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: M/M, Post-Timeskip | War Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-02
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-15 04:20:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29802831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/108_Stars/pseuds/108_Stars
Summary: Ashe journeys back to Garreg Mach after five long years, excited to see Dedue once more.Written for theAshdue Storybookzine.
Relationships: Ashe Duran | Ashe Ubert/Dedue Molinaro
Comments: 1
Kudos: 12





	Returning Home

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally written for the Ashedue Storybook Zine, which I was so happy to be a part of! I wish my health hadn't got in the way and that I was able to produce my best work, but I can only hope I still did my fave pairing justice.

Ashe feels the air leave his lungs as his face is knocked into the rough gravel road. 

“We tried to make it easy for you! We only want your money, nothing else.”

There’s something else, but Ashe can’t hear it, his ears still ringing from the blow to his head a minute or two ago. 

This isn’t the first time this has happened as of late, not even the first on this road. Since the death of the Regent (and Dimitri, though Ashe still refuses to believe it), the countryside has become lawless. Bandits roam the roads outside of every town, hoping to run into someone with a few gold to their name. He can’t blame them; most of them are young and scared, or have no other way to feed their families. If things had been different, he might have been one of them. Still, he has to get to the monastery before sundown. Perhaps he can reason with them, he’s quite good at-

“What’s this?”

There’s a flash of gold as the leader of the bandit crew hangs something in front of his eyes. An uncharacteristic rage floods him; they have no right to be holding that when they could never understand the value of it. All they see is the sack of coins they could get for selling it, not the hours of work and gentle care Dedue put into making it for him, the thought that Dedue had put into it. He can’t return to Garreg Mach without it, not after 5 long years of keeping it close. 

Ashe breathes and calms himself as best he can before replying.

“It’s worthless to you. Please give it back, I promise I can give you something more valuable in return.”

“A keepsake then? From someone special? Aww, it must be by the way you’re blushing!” There’s a few laughs from the other bandits. Ashe slips a hand towards his boot. “Well, it still looks pretty fancy to me. I’m sure your lover won’t mind getting you a n-”

He doesn’t have time to finish his sentence before a knife slashes across his torso. Ashe staggers back, getting some distance between him and the bandits, breathing heavily. It isn’t a deep wound, there’s no need to kill those who are too scared to kill others, but it’s enough of a warning at least. 

“Please give it back.”

Wild eyes meet his own for just a moment as silence descends upon the scene. The pendant is dropped to the ground, shining gold now covered in mud.

“Fine, keep it. No use wasting effort here.”

Ashe doesn’t bother replying, standing still as the bandits turn to leave. As soon as he’s sure they’ve actually left, he runs over to that glimmer of gold in the dirt. His undershirt is a necessary sacrifice to make it shine properly once more. He smiles as the intricate designs come back to life, detailed engravings catching and scattering the light. It’s Ashe’s personal sun, warming his heart in a way nothing else can. 

The rest of his belongings are still in his pack. He fastens it back up and sets off once more, keeping the pendant chain wrapped around his hand. 

  
\---

  
He hadn’t asked Dedue to make it, he’d never asked Dedue for anything, apart from his honesty. Ashe reminisces about afternoons spent in the greenhouse together as he continues down the road, gravel crunching underneath his boots. He shouldn’t have been so distraught over the flowers dying, not when they’d return the next year. Perhaps it was the knowledge that he and Dedue would be long gone by then, with no way to know if they had returned. Ashe knows it was more than that though; the tears he shed hadn’t been for the flowers, not really. 

Dedue had comforted him then. They’d stayed tucked in the corner, behind the tallest plants. They shared stories of people long gone, the things they still remember, and the fear that one day it all might fade from memory. When they finally emerged, rushing to the Dining Hall before it closed, Dedue had asked him to be patient for a week or so. 

Ashe had been bemused, but there was hardly time to think of it between trying to keep up with classes and training, catching up on all the things his classmates had had a lifetime to learn. When the week was done and he and Dedue stood in the greenhouse once more, Dedue had seemed distant, somehow more closed off than usual. He’d asked if Dedue was alright, not wanting his friend to suffer alone. Instead of a reply, Dedue had handed Ashe a gift- a pendant close in design to Dedue’s own earring. Dedue had promised to teach him the meaning for each of the engravings in time, but assured Ashe that this wouldn’t fade, however much time may pass. Ashe had scarcely heard him, arms already wrapped tight around his much taller friend. He’d known then, the truth of his feelings for Dedue. If only he’d known how little time he’d have to say them.

  
\---

He can see the Monastery now. It rises up, reaching to the clouds above, still grand despite the damage from Edelgard’s attack all those years ago. He should make it on time, even without having to run. There’s a letter in the bottom of his bag from Mercedes, confirming everyone’s plans to meet today. She’s the only one he’s been able to keep contact with, the protection of the Church keeping her safe through the political turmoil. 

Ashe says a quick prayer - more a habit at this point than anything else - that he’ll see them all again, even Dimitri. He still can’t believe Dimitri is dead, not without proof. There’s been no word from Dedue either and he’s sure the two must have escaped together. But Ashe knows they won’t break their promise to meet again. He has to keep believing. The pendant shines in his hand, a reminder that not all things fade, that there is always hope.

Ashe’s heart swells as he begins to walk faster, encouraged by the knowledge that he’ll soon see Dedue again. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! You can find me over [here](https://twitter.com/possiblevoid) on twitter.


End file.
